Conflicted Emotions
by Holby2603
Summary: A Leddi fanfic. One way for Luc to return
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fanfic, and I'd love to know what you think of it.**

**Chapter 1**

Eddi still thought about Luc, although she would never admit it. Whilst most of these thoughts were about how angry she was that he would do something like that, how it had affected both her personal and professional life so badly, some were about how much she missed him. Although she was not the sentimental type, she knew that Luc had meant the world to her, and she thought she had meant the same to him. She knew when they were both up on the roof, the day Luc left, that if he would've fallen she would never have gotten over it. But then how was this any different? He was still gone, just like he would've been if he had fallen. Eddi put it down to the fact that the gruesome image of someone you care about suffering such a brutal death is not something that just goes away. However, Eddi had tried to move on with her life. Luc's replacement, Max, had grown close to Eddi. She found him slightly like Luc, but more open. When Luc had first arrived, they'd argued constantly, but with Max it just felt like they always agreed. Despite all this, she still missed him. Eddi didn't know what she'd do if Luc ever came back, but she knew it would be difficult to ignore the feelings she still had left for him. However, he had left her with no explanation, and no attempts at communication for three months; she couldn't think of anything he could say that would that fact any better.

"Okay everyone, there's been a majax, it's an explosion at a hospital a few miles down the road. We're the main receiver for it's casualties," Eddi heard Sacha yell, a serious look plastered on his normally cheerful face.

"What hospital?" she asked, wondering if she might have to treat friends.

"You wouldn't know it, it's private. Specialising in research," came Sacha's reply, cut short by the first patient arrival. Eddi had no time to think before she was whisked away.

"Okay, what've we got?" she asked Sacha, glancing down at the man's badly burnt face, and bloody knee.

"Second degree burns on his face, and query fracture of the left femur," Sacha replied, passing on the information he had been given by the paramedics. Eddi put a hand on the man's shoulder.

"My name's Eddi and this is Sacha, he's going to be your doctor for today," she told the man, assessing his burns.

"Cal," she heard the man moan. "You've got to get Cal out." Eddi stopped what she was doing to listen to the man.

"Who's Cal?"

"He's my mate, he's trapped behind a bed. The firemen will never find him there. He's in floor 4, room 8," the man blurted out, staring at Eddi with worried eyes. She grabbed one of the nurses.

"Okay, you heard the man, get onto the paramedics immediately," Eddi instructed the nurse, who ran off towards a phone.

"We're going to need an orthopaedic consult for this leg," Sacha told Eddi, gently pulling the man's trousers away to reveal a deep gash.

"Right, can somebody page one, please?" Eddi yelled. Suddenly, Chrissie came up behind her, a worried look on her face.

"Eddi, you're going to need to come with me. Prepare yourself," Chrissie sighed, placing a tentative hand on Eddi's shoulder.

"Why?" asked Eddi who wanted to carry on treating her scared patient. She didn't like to leave a job half finished.

"Just come," instructed Chrissie, her hand now hovering behind Eddi's back, ushering her towards another bed. They walked through the hectic ward, over to the bed. She spotted Max, a grim look on his face.

"Who is it?" asked Eddi, suddenly frightened. "Is it Liam?" she asked, her thoughts turning to her younger brother. He could've easily been walking past the hospital at the time of the explosion.

"No, it isn't Liam," said Max. "I think you'd better take a look yourself. Eddi pushed through to the bed, where a hardly recognisable figure lay. She, however, would know that face anywhere. For the man lying in front of her, burns covering his body, was Luc Hemmingway.

"Oh God," muttered Eddi, trying desperately to take it in. Luc's eyes opened, and made eye contact with Eddi. She could barely make out his muffled words.

"Eddi...I'm...Sorry," he murmured, his battered face gazing up at her's. The man lying in front of her was the one who had caused the last three months to be slightly depressing, all because he had left her. She cared so much about him, but was unable to cope with his actions. "I can't do this," she muttered, before running away, leaving him without anyone who cared for him. Just like he had done to her three months ago.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Eddi went to the one place where she knew she would be alone, her refuge from the sometimes unbearable life she led. Only one person would know where to find her, but as he was in no fit state to do any talking Eddi knew she was safe. Her mind struggled to comprehend the conflicted feelings buzzing around her. While she knew she had a duty of care towards her patients, the thought of an encounter with Luc in front of so many people was unbearable. Her first instinct was to run down the stairs and sit beside him, holding his hand and looking after him, because she hated to see him like this. She wanted to make sure he was alright; she had no idea how serious his injuries could be. Seeing him so vulnerable had chilled her to the bone. Luc was normally so independent, he rarely asked for help. However, he needed her after the Legionnaires outbreak and she knew he needed her now. But then there was Max to think about. Did she really want to sabotage one relationship to be with a man who was quite willing to leave her without so much as a phone call? She needed to sort it. She needed an explanation from him. She needed to let him know she was there, even after what had happened between them. Sighing, Eddi stood up and began the long walk back to her ward.

She was surprised to find AAU a lot less hectic than when she left. In fact, the amount of beds occupied was less than normal, despite there being a major accident. "Ah good, you're back," Sacha smiled at Eddi whilst standing in front of a concerned looking Chrissie. "How are you holding up?" Once again, Eddi sighed.

"I have to talk to him. Will you need me?" she asked Sacha, silently willing the answer to be yes.

"Nope! In fact, we're just collecting the overspill from the other wards. We managed to palm off most of our patients," Sacha grinned. "Leaving you and Luc plenty of time to talk about...whatever it is you need to talk about, I guess," he smiled, walking away with his arm round Chrissie. Eddi slowly made her way towards Luc's bed. His face was burnt slightly, but his right leg had taken most of the damage.

"Oh Luc, I missed you so much," sighed Eddi, slipping into the seat beside him.

"Good, because I've missed you a lot too," she heard his voice reply. She was slightly startled by the fact that he was awake. While his voice was a shadow of the Luc she remembered, there was still a lot of him there. She had longed to hear that voice for what seemed to be forever. This was the time to get answers. Eddi stared down at his charred face, the face she hadn't seen in months.

"Why did you leave, Luc?"

Luc stared up at her. He didn't really know why he'd left. Did he not really love her? Of course he did. Fear of commitment? Most likely. Was that it? He needed an answer to give her. According to the lectures from Chrissie and Sacha, she'd not been herself since he left. Even more grumpy. Even more irritable; and much more fragile. The very mention of his name provoked an outburst of anger. He needed an answer. Despite knowing how annoyed this answer would make her, he had nothing else. "I don't know." Eddi fell back, her hands covering her face in despair.

"That's not good enough Luc. You left for three months, no explanation, no attempts to try and contact me, just a stupid book. You even had the cheek to return my key. Surely you could've at least included a note, something to give me a hint of where you were," she groaned, staring at him. "Was it that I wasn't good enough? Were you that freaked out by the thought of owning a set of keys to my house?" she continued.

"No, Eddi, you were always more than good enough," he sighed, thinking back to the last night they had spent together. How good it felt to wake up with her in his arms, brushing her hair back, breathing in her scent. He'd never been that close to anyone, and that's what scared him. "Eddi, I will never have an acceptable reason for leaving, but know this. I may have left, but I will never do it again. Seeing you reminded me of what I left behind. I need you, Eddi," he told her, wishing she would accept this.

"How do I know you won't do it again? I've never been hurt like that before, Luc," she whispered, revealing how truly broken he'd left her.

"You just have to trust me," he replied, hoping this would be enough to win her over. He glanced over at Eddi, who was thinking the situation over. Finally, she turned to him.

"One last chance. Blow this, and it's over." Luc smiled. It was weird to think, but if that explosion hadn't have happened, he wouldn't have Eddi back.

"Come here," he gestured, holding out his arm. Slowly, Eddi climbed onto the bed. His arm fitted around her shoulder, pulling her into him. This was a feeling they had both missed.

"I missed you," whispered Eddi, snuggling in to him.

"Shush, just get some sleep. You look like you need it," Luc replied, holding her tight. Eddi's body relaxed, and Luc realised that there was no-one he would rather be with.

Near the nurses' desk, Chrissie and Sacha were watching the sleeping couple. "I always knew they'd get together in the end!" Sacha grinned at his Fiancée. She smiled back, leaning into his shoulder. They knew that whilst Luc and Eddi would have some rough patches, they'd get there eventually.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"So, did they find Cal?" Eddi asked her patient. She'd spent the night with Luc, not wanting to leave him alone in a hospital. While her back was slightly sore, the fact that she had him back was worth it.

"Yeah, they did. He's now paralysed from the waist down," her patient replied, staring at his lap. Eddi stopped fiddling with his saline bag to talk to him.

"I'm so sorry Danny," she murmured, her hand on his shoulder. Danny sighed, holding out a photo of him and his friend. It showed them crouching together with helmets and cycling gear on.

"He was the best in Wyvern." Eddi sighed; the photo reminded her of a young snowboarder she had treated nearly a year ago. Almost as if to break her trail of thought, Sacha walked over, the normal smile occupying his face.

"Good news, Danny. Your test results are all clear; you're free to go!" he grinned, showing the young man his scan.

"That's great, now you can go and see Cal," Eddi smiled. Sacha walked over to the nurses table; Eddi was about to go and join him until Danny grabbed her.

"What do I say to him? What if he's changed?"Danny asked, a flood of panic overwhelming him. Eddi took the seat next to him.

"From what I understand, you two are pretty close. Even if Cal can't go cycling anymore, he's still the same man he always was. Just be yourself," Eddi told him. Danny smiled, standing up.

"Thanks Nurse McKee. You've really helped me." Eddi smiled, holding out his photo.

"It's all in the job description."

After making sure Danny was safely on his way, Eddi began to venture over to Luc. "So, you and Luc! How did it all go?" asked Sacha, stepping out in front of her. Eddi sighed. It seemed she could never have a moment of privacy from Mr. Levy and his nosey bride-to-be Chrissie Williams.

"Nothing."

"It's just, you seemed pretty cosy last night." Eddi tried to push past him.

"Right now, I'm the only friend Luc has got here. The only one he will tell anything to. Now please, let me go and see him," Eddi moaned, eventually getting past Sacha. Chrissie came to stand behind him, placing an arm around his neck.

"Now, if that isn't love I don't know what is," she grinned.

"How are you?" asked Eddi, slipping into the only seat beside him. Luc turned over to face her. Now it was morning, Eddi could see the damage done to his face. Given the severity of the accident, Luc had come away nearly unscathed. He had a few cuts and bruises, and his face was charred slightly. However, his left leg needed an operation, due to the burns he had sustained.

"Better, now you're here," he smiled. Eddi punched him in the shoulder, a mildly annoyed look on her face.

"You've never been one to be all lovey-dovey. Please don't start now," she told him. Luc smiled again, pulling her into him. She relaxed immediately, enjoying breathing in his scent once more.

"I missed you," sighed Luc, his leg causing him to ache slightly.

"Ahem." Eddi pulled away from Luc, turning to face the figure behind her. She gulped.

"Hi, Max," she grimaced, risking a glance at Luc. She'd forgotten all about them, how close they'd gotten in the few weeks before Luc had returned.

"A word please, Nurse McKee," he replied, an emotionless voice. Now Luc was here, she could see why she had gone to Max for comfort. He was so much like Luc, the way he did things, the way he spoke. But there was just something about Luc that made him special. She turned to face him, and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'll be right back," she whispered, before standing up to go with Max.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

Max led her to his office. He gestured to a seat, before taking one himself. Before saying a word, he spun gently on a chair, staring up at the ceiling. Finally, he spoke. "So, that's the famous Luc. The one I've heard so little about. How long have you known him for?" he asked, his fingers drumming on the desk.

"About 10 months," she replied, thinking back to their first encounter on the roof.

"Right. And where did he go, for all this time?" Eddi sighed. She realised she didn't know the answer.

"I don't know." Max spun on his chair again.

"Ok. What happened between the two of you?" Eddi didn't like to talk to anyone about Luc, but she felt it was the least Max deserved She told him all about their kiss in the wet lab, how they argued until that one night when he was more scared than she had ever seen him. How he'd shouted at her on the ward. How they'd finally agreed to go on a date, how his contract had ran out. How after she gave him that key, he left with not so much as a goodbye. Eddi shivered, replaying the scene back in her head for the thousandth time. She had to jolt herself back to reality, remind herself that Luc was here, with her. Max sighed.

"Seems like you were pretty close when he left. Are you still that close?" Eddi tried to avoid eye contact.

"Look, Max, I need him, and he needs me. You're a lovely bloke, and I've enjoyed spending time with you, but I want to be with Luc." Max sighed again, nodding. Eddi stood up to leave, knowing that Luc would be wondering how much longer she'd be.

"Eddi," he whispered. She turned around to face him. "Thank you." Eddi nodded, a hint of a smiled on her face, and began to walk over to Luc's bed. When she found no-one there, her heart began to pound, wondering if he'd left her again. Her hands rushed to her hair, and began to pull.

"Hey, it's okay. Sacha had a free slot booked, so they've taken him into theatre now," Chrissie told her. Eddi sighed, sinking into the chair next to his bed. It may be a long wait.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Eddi was awoken from a much needed sleep by the sound of Sacha. "Hey, wake up! He's here now, but he won't be awake for a while," he told her, gesturing towards Luc. He was now back in the bed beside her; she wondered how she'd managed to sleep through him returning.

"How did it go?" she asked groggily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Great! He should be out of here in a few days time." Eddi jolted upright. She hadn't thought about what would happen when he was able to leave the hospital. After all, it wasn't his choice to come back. Would he still want be with her? Would he take his job at Holby back? If he did, it would mean Max would be out of a job. As much as she wanted Luc back, she hated to think of him with no work. She tried to put the thought out her mind. He might not even want to stay. Eddi glanced over at Luc, who was sleeping peacefully, his leg not seeming to cause him any discomfort. Sighing, she leant her head on his chest.

"Please, never leave again."

"Wake up. Eddi!" Once again, Eddi was woken by the sound of a voice; this time it was Luc. He smiled as she slowly sat up, her tired face coming into view.

"How are you?" she mumbled, her voice still laced with sleep.

"Considerably better than I was. You look tired. When was the last time you went home?" Luc asked, rubbing her cheek gently. Eddi struggled to remember.

"Probably the night before you got here, I don't know," she groaned, suddenly remembering what she wanted to ask him. "Look, Luc, we need to talk." Luc sat up a little bit, grimacing with pain.

"You know that's not my strong point," he smiled, the same smile he used when they were on the roof that time, shortly after their encounter with a crazy patient.

"What are you going to do when you get out of her?" she asked, skipping straight to the point. Luc's smile became serious for a moment, before he remembered something. He leant over to grab a piece of paper from the cabinet beside him.

"Read this," he said, holding out the piece of paper to Eddi. As she read it, her spirits began to lift again.

"A permanent contract for Holby," she smiled.

"Hanssen decided to give me a second chance," he replied, thinking back to when his old boss paid a visit to the ward. He had come down to visit Luc when Eddi was with Max. Eddi raised her eyebrows. It didn't seem like something Hanssen would do. She chose to overlook it when Luc asked her a question. "Do you mind if I have my key back? I plan on using it as much as possible in the future," Luc asked, his eyes hovering around the room. Eddi grinned, reaching into her pocket. When she gave it to him, he once again rubbed the key under his nose. For the second time, Luc reached over to his drawer. He fumbled around with it for a while, before pulling out a chain with key attached. Smiling at Eddi, he placed the key around his neck. "I'm not letting this go again." Eddi grinned, leaning in to him. He instantaneously put his arm around her, and kissed her on the cheek. Soon, they'd both be at her house, and everything would go back to normal.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The day had finally arrived; Luc was allowed out. He wasn't expected to start work for a week, at least, and Eddi too was taking some time off to look after him. Whilst she was nearly sure he wasn't going to leave, there were still a few trust issues. Luc had given Eddi the keys to his campervan; she was going to drop him off at her house, and then pick up his campervan from the hospital car park. His campervan had been left unscathed by the blast, and she only lived a few miles away, so it would be easy. Eddi was watching Luc putting his coat on while holding his bag. "Ready?" he asked, holding out his hand.

"Ready," she smiled, gripping it firmly. Before they could leave AAU, they were inevitably interrupted by Chrissie.

"Ah, you look so cute together! I'm glad you're an item again," Chrissie grinned. Eddi and Luc exchanged glances. They were really rather annoyed with people commenting on their relationship.

"Right, thanks," Eddi replied, and began to walk out with Luc again.

"Oh, okay then. See you next week!" she shouted. The couple couldn't escape fast enough

"Why can't she just keep her nose out of other people's business?" moaned Eddi as they got in her car. Luc sat down next to her, his hand on her knee.

"You do realise the fact that we are now together will be the hot topic of ward conversation next week, don't you?" Luc asked, shuddering at the thought. She stopped to think about this for a moment, her face an emotionless slate, before placing her left hand on the handbrake.

"Just let them try to talk about us," she muttered, reversing out of her parking space. Luc grinned. He'd missed Eddi's fiery nature. She looked over at him, and noticed his grin.

"What?" she questioned, a small smile on her face.

"Nothing. Just drive," Luc replied, trying to keep a straight face. During the short drive to Eddi's home, she updated Luc on the current situation at Holby. She told him about the non-referral system to Keller, Chrissie and Sacha's engagement and Dan leaving. However, she never asked him about the one thing she wanted to know about; where Luc had been. By her logic, to have been caught up in the explosion, he would've had to be just down the road. So why didn't he come and see her? She glanced over at Luc, who was fiddling around with the key on his neck. Eventually, they were going to have to talk about where he went, and she was not looking forward to it.

"That's my house," Eddi gestured. Luc looked up from his fidgeting, only to be greeted by a sight he did not expect. Eddi's house was a little bungalow, nearly on it's own on a tiny road. He could only see three other houses on her road. Her house was decorated with hanging baskets, and had a small pond occupied by a family of frogs.

"It's...not what I was expecting," replied Luc, shocked by the house that seemed so unlike Eddi.

"The hanging baskets were a present from a close friend, so I felt obliged to put them up. As for the pond, it was here when I moved in," Eddi told him, aware that the house might not have been what he had in mind. "Well, let's go in then," she continued, climbing out of the car. She walked around to Luc's door, and pulled it open. He handed Eddi his bag, before joining her by the side of the car.

"Eddi?" Luc asked, taking the bag off her.

"Yes?" she replied, still staring at her house. Luc dropped the bag, and grabbed her shoulders.

"You do know how much you mean to me, don't you?" he asked, smiling down at her small frame.

"Has the accident done something to your brain? You've been acting strange recently," Eddi replied. Luc grinned at her, before pulling her into his chest. She looked up at him, and he kissed her on the forehead.

"I'm never going to leave again," he whispered to her, hoping he'd never have to let her go. Eddi pulled away, and smiled at him.

"I know, you idiot. Now come on, get inside." Eddi picked up his bag and let them both in. Luc began to take in his surroundings. The walls were painted light blue, with hints of beige. Her hallway had a small table in it, with coats and hats discarded carelessly upon it. "Just put your shoes down there, and then follow me into the living room," Eddi instructed, pointing to a spot on the hallway. Luc did what she asked, before walking into her little living room. He was greeted by a collection of video games, various consoles from different eras. On top of her mantelpiece he could make out photos of her and Liam, Chantelle and various other faces, some of them male.

"How many of these photos are you drunk in?" he asked, tracing the frame of one of the pictures.

"Quite a few," Eddi admitted. Finally, Luc came across a photo which shocked him. It was a snapshot of the two of them, from when they were messing around on a break.

"You kept this photo," Luc murmured, remembering how much simpler things were between the two of them back then. Eddi walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"This is a display of my friends and some of my family. If you look, you'll see Sacha on there too. As much as I hated to admit, I knew we were kind of friends. I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it," she explained, gazing at the photo. "Right, I need to go and collect your van," Eddi remembered, snapping Luc out of his trance. "Help yourself to any food, I'll be back soon. Luc turned around to face her, kissing her head again.

"Don't be too long, okay?" Luc watched her walk out of the door, and continued to examine her wall of photos.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**I don't know if I like this chapter, but it is just a filler one. The next one should be up soon.**

Walking to get Luc's campervan gave Eddi a lot of time to think. After everything Luc had done, she was so unable to be without him that she didn't even ask for an explanation. One side of the argument told her that this was because they were right together, while the other side told her that she was stupid to let him get away with it. Eddi sighed. She had no idea what to do; the only friend she would talk about something so serious with was Luc. Or maybe Sacha, but under these circumstances she'd feel uncomfortable with that. She could see the sight of the explosion. It was sealed off with police tape, C.S.I. vans still there. Wondering round to the car park, Luc's campervan slowly appeared in her line of sight. Just like Luc, the explosion had treated it well. There were traces of ash, but otherwise the van was fine. While Eddi was surprised at the low level of security, she was still pleased she didn't have to go through the hassle of producing documents of ownership, and other related bits of paperwork. Walking slowly inside, Eddi was hit by a storm of memories. She remembered cleaning up after her brother trashed the place, never having felt so close to Luc. She remembered the first time they'd slept together, and of course the last time. That was the strongest memory of all. Whilst reminiscing, a random fact occurred to Eddi. Luc didn't come back out of his own accord. The hospital wasn't far from Holby, he could've easily come and seen her. Slumping into a seat, Eddi wondered if he was with her out of choice, or because he was too scared to leave her again. Realising she needed answers, Eddi jumped into the driver's seat and reversed out of the car park.

"Oh good, you're home!" Luc smiled, walking into the hallway. He was limping slightly from where his leg had been operated on. Seeing Eddi's face, his immediately turned serious. "What's happened?" he asked, reaching out for her shoulder. She quickly brushed it away, and stared at the floor.

"I need answers, Luc. Get into the living room," she gestured, still looking at the floor. Luc sighed, but still obeyed her instructions. Once they were both sat down, Eddi stared directly at him.

"Why did you leave?" Once again, Luc sighed, but he knew she deserved answers.

"I was scared. I never stay in one place for a long time, and it felt odd being tied down." Luc glanced over at Eddi, who was sitting with her arms crossed, her eyebrows knitted.

"Why didn't you leave a note, or send a text?" Luc thought about this. He still wasn't sure about the answer.

"I didn't know what to say. I would make up some stupid excuse about my phone breaking, but I know you're too smart to fall for that."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere, Luc." He smirked. Eddi always managed to make him laugh, especially when she was trying to be serious. "Okay, where did you go?"

"I went travelling for a while; stayed with some friends, tried to clear my head. Eventually, I began to run out of money, so I went searching for a job. The best one I could find was at St. Roy's, so I took it." Eddi sighed.

"Why didn't you come and see me?" She wondered if she would've accepted him.

"I was trying to build up the courage, but I couldn't."

"Right, final one. Are you with me out of choice, or because you feel you have to be?" Luc thought about the answer for a while, before realising it was obvious.

"I could've taken the easy way out, like I did last time. I could've cut off all lines of contact; I could've left you again. That would've been the easiest thing to do. I wouldn't have to explain anything. But I didn't. The whole time I wasn't with you, you were all I could think about; my first thought in the morning, and my last at night. I am almost grateful for that explosion, as it brought me back to you without me having to do anything. Of course I am with you out of choice. You have to trust me, Eddi. I have never felt this way about anyone before." Luc shocked himself with his emotional outburst; it was uncharacteristic of him. He stared at his feet for a while, before glancing over at Eddi. She still had a serious look on her face. He braced himself for disappointment.

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head when you fell? That's the third odd thing I've heard you say all week," Eddi smiled, the serious look fading away. Luc jerked up, staring at her face.

"Does that mean you are forgiving me?" he asked, nearly sure of the answer.

"Do you know something? You made me hurt like I have never done before for three long months, but I need to be with you so much, that I'm willing to forget all of that. You make me happier than I've ever felt before. So yes, you are forgiven. Just promise me you will never do anything like that again," Eddi smiled. Luc grinned back at her, before sitting down beside her. Instinctively, Eddi fell into his arms.

"Of course I promise," Luc whispered. "Now, I'm going to put a film on, and you can just fall asleep. I doubt you've gotten much recently." He turned on the TV, and slotted a disk in. Still grinning, he slipped back onto the sofa, and let Eddi curl up to him. Within minutes, it was clear she was asleep. He could feel her warm breath on his chest, and he knew exactly where he should've been all along.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**Just realised I've left a speech mark out of Chapter 5; I'll try to change it later.**

"When you fall in love, it's a long way down," the woman told Luc, still staring into the distance. Eddi watched from behind, wishing the psychopath would go, leaving her with Luc. Suddenly, the woman went to stand up. All Eddi could remember was that one moment Luc was sitting there, holding the woman's hand, and the next he was dangling over the edge.

"LUC!" Eddi screamed, racing towards him

"Eddi, she's fallen. I couldn't hold on to her," he told her, his voice shaken with fear.

"Luc, just hold on, I'm going to call someone," she replied. One hand was grasping onto Luc's, whilst the other was frantically mashing buttons on her pager. "It's okay, they'll be here soon, you just have to hold on," Eddi continued, staring down at Luc. He'd managed to grip onto the iron bars, but didn't have the strength to pull himself up. "Luc, her falling was not your fault, you have to believe me. Please, let me help you up!" Eddi yelled, her eyes full of tears. Luc's face was wearing a vacant, blank expression.

"I should've pulled her up, I shouldn't have let go. What will her husband do, he'll have no-one with him..." Luc trailed off interrupted by Sacha. He quickly rushed over to Luc and Eddi, his face home to a look of pure fear.

"What happened?" he asked, grabbing hold of one of Luc's hands.

"That doesn't matter, please just help him up," begged Eddi, unable to stop the flow of tears.

"Eddi," groaned Luc, before one of his hands left the iron bar. She let out a yelp, Sacha grabbing hold of his free hand. "Eddi, I love you. I'm sorry," Luc groaned again.

"I know you do, what happened, it doesn't matter, please just let Sacha pull you up," Eddi whispered, kissing his free hand. Before he could respond, his other hand slipped away from Sacha's grasp, leaving Luc tumbling towards the ground. "NOOOOOOOOOO!" Eddi screamed, paralysed for a moment. Quickly she snapped back into reality, and sped down the stairs towards him. She could hear the voices of her colleagues, but she ignored them, her one goal being to secure the safety of Luc. Pushing past various medical staff, she raced down to the desk at reception, knocking a cup of coffee out of someone's hand in the process. A large crowd had formed around where Luc had fallen, but noticing Eddi they split through the middle. She saw Luc's body lying limp on a stretcher. Michael was stood over him, and upon seeing Eddi his face darkened.

"Eddi, I'm so sorry."

Luc lay with Eddi on her sofa, peacefully stroking her face. She was sleeping soundly, her head resting on his chest. He felt he could protect her like this. Luc was comfortable, and he loved having Eddi with him. Suddenly, Eddi bolted upright, facing away from Luc. "LUC!" she yelled, her arms outstretched in front of her. Luc pulled her around to face him, full of concern.

"Eddi, I'm still here, I'm not going..." He was cut short by a confused Eddi hugging him, sobbing into his chest. "What's wrong, Eddi?" he asked, pulling her up. He was shocked by the state of her face; she was white as a sheet, and her eyes were red from crying.

"Nothing. Just a bad dream," she replied, rubbing her eyes. Still concerned, Luc pulled her back into him.

"I'm here, and I don't plan on leaving. Now, go back to sleep," he whispered, holding her frail body. Eddi muttered to herself for a moment, before relaxing in Luc's arms.


End file.
